You might have noticed the six reserve combinations listed in Equestrian Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games team announcement – and you might have had some questions about these key members of the Canadian Equestrian Team (CET).
Reserves are essential in ensuring Canada remains able to compete as a team and retains the best chance of success should an athlete or horse originally selected to compete have to withdraw for any reason.
Read on to learn about the role of reserve!
How are reserves chosen?
Reserves declared and qualified for Tokyo 2020 according to the nomination criteria and were chosen by the selection committee of their respective discipline. Detailed information can be found in each discipline’s nomination criteria: dressage; eventing; jumping.
Tokyo 2020 travelling dressage reserves: Jill Irving and Arthur; Naima Moreira Laliberté and Statesman.
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
Why are some reserves labelled as “travelling” while others are “non-travelling”?
Only teams are allowed to have travelling reserves, which is why the Canadian Dressage Team is sending reserves to Tokyo. Reserves for individual allocations, like Canada’s eventing and show jumping spots, are not allowed to travel to Tokyo.
Normally, non-travelling reserves would have still made the journey to the pre-export quarantine (PEQ) for Canadian team horses, which breaks up the horses’ travel journey from North America and ensures that they are healthy before arriving in Tokyo. However, due to the considerations of travel risks, as well as the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) pandemics, it was decided that for this Games, non-travelling reserves would not attend the PEQ in Aachen, GER.
Tokyo 2020 non-travelling eventing reserves: Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes; Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jollybo.
Photo Credit: Shannon Brinkman
Why and when could a reserve be called up?
Non-travelling reserves for Tokyo 2020 will only come into play should a nominated athlete or horse withdraw before the start of the Games.
The Canadian Dressage Team travelling reserve can be substituted up to two hours before the Grand Prix or Grand Prix Special.
Tokyo 2020 jumping reserves: Amy Millar and Truman; Tiffany Foster and Northern Light.
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi Photography and Starting Gate Communications